Vineyard party in Castelnuovo Berardenga with the 2nd Pruner Festival by Simonit&Sirch Vine Master Pruners

The competition will take place in the vineyards of Agricola San Felice , a leading company in the area and partner of the Festival, which has been applying the Simonit&Sirch pruning method for years and hosts the courses of the Italian School of Vine Pruning. The Festival will be preceded on March 15th by the technical conference "Vigna and Water: sustainable design" moderated by the wine journalist Jamie Goode , which will feature important speakers from all over the world (detailed program on the website: www.festivaldelpotatore.it). The conference will start at 10.00 and will be held in the rooms of Agricola San Felice. Reservation required at this link: https://festivaldelpotatore.it/convegno/ .

The topic is a hot topic : water is in fact a resource to be conserved, to avoid water stress on the vines, but also to be removed, to avoid excesses, stagnation and erosion. A good "design" of the vineyard and the use of accumulation systems respond to both these needs within the framework of an efficient use of water aimed at improving production. Participation in the conference provides for the recognition of professional training credits from the Order of Agronomists and that of Agricultural Experts.
After a light lunch, a round table will be held at 3.00 pm with Italian and foreign producers who will illustrate the paths undertaken, the relative benefits and the critical issues that have emerged. The day will end with the tasting of 2-3 wines from different soils (reservations required, 100 seats, price €70.00 including light lunch and tasting).

Pruning Contest
The Contest is open to all those, Italians and foreigners , who want to show their skills in a competition that will reward accuracy of cuts and speed. 100 competitors will take part and will compete in individual competitions and in teams of 3 members . Registration at this link:https://festivaldelpotatore.it/iscrivati/. The jury, made up of Simonit&Sirch technicians and international pruning experts, will decide the best classified in the two categories. The public will be able to closely observe the competitors intent on pruning the plants. Speaker of the competition will be Francesco Quarna , DJ and winemaker, voice of Radio DEEJAY, passionate about viticulture and food and wine.

A day of celebration dedicated to "know-how in the vineyard"
The Pruning Contest will be the heart of a day of celebration dedicated to "know-how in the vineyard" open - with free entry - to everyone, pruners, vineyard people, farmers, families, friends and nature and countryside enthusiasts , who will be able to spend a pleasant and unusual day. To surround the competition, music, stands, tastings and a series of collateral activities linked to the agricultural world, including craft workshops and technical ateliers , starting with the scissors workshop held by FELCO , technical partner of the event together with the other partner AVG Verdicchio Group technician. The Festival enjoys the patronage of the Chianti Classico Consortium , of the Municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga , of the ASA Italian Agri-food Press Association . Media partners of the Festival are Radio Toscana and L'Informatore Agrario , Main Sponsor FINE RARE of London, which since 1994 has been a leader in the purchase, sale and management of private cellars, allowing the global public of collectors to have access to the products more valuable. FINE RARE is based on a passion for the exceptional. The program
The day will start for the competitors at 8.00 with the blessing of the pruners by the Parish Priest of Castelnuovo Berardenga, followed by the Pruner's Breakfast organized by the Differently Eroici association. The stands will open at 9.00 and the competitions will begin at 10.00, as will the collateral activities . Among others, the well-known singer-songwriter Omar Pedrini will be present with readings of his lyrics and musical tasting, Da Move with an adrenaline-filled performance of freestyle and acrodunking basketball, the Lumberjack Athletes who will perform spectacular cutting demonstrations with axe, saw and chainsaw . You will be able to watch the working of the vineyards with horses and take short tours to admire the beautiful hills of Chianti and Siena from above on the helicopter of record mountaineer Simone Moro . In collaboration with the Chianti Classico Consortium, stations will be set up where you can taste the best Chianti Classico labels and there will be several truck-food points with local specialities. Also present at the event was Andrea Amadei , Sommelier and Gastronomer, radio and television author, voice for Decanter Rai Radio2 and face of "E' semper Mezzogiorno" Rai 1.
Also on the programme, starting at 9.30, is the Walk between History, Wine and Nature with the hiking associations Camminando a Quercegrossa and Gruppo Escursionisti Berardenga , which will reach the spectacular Brolio Castle, in a panoramic route of approximately 8.2 km through vineyards , dirt roads, paths.

Wannabe at pruninguy
A corner of a vineyard will be reserved for the little ones , where they will be involved in "Wannabe a pruninguy" : each child will choose a vine cutting and plant it, marking it with their name and the date, thus giving life to a symbolic vineyard, good omen for the future. Other activities have been created for them, including educational visits to the Orto Felice , the natural vegetable garden of San Felice, which involves elderly residents in the area and some young people with disabilities.